Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Wire: 43 US Troops Have Died in Afghanistan Since McChrystal Called for Reinforcements

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2009 -- Few, if any, newswire services today reported that another American died in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the final day of September -- and exactly one month after the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan sent a confidential war assessment to the Obama administration, warning that more forces are needed -- soon.

The U.S. serviceman who died on Wednesday was caught in a suicide attack in Khost Province, in eastern Afghanistan, reports said.

On August 30, Gen. Stanley McChrystal sent Defense Secretary Robert Gates a war assessment in which he said more U.S. troops -- and change to the current Obama strategy -- are needed if the U.S. is to defeat the insurgents in Afghanistan.

CNSNews.com said today that since that Aug. 30 date, a total of 43 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have died in a war that is now the subject of much discussion -- and apparently some confusion -- in Washington.

In his confidential report, which was leaked to the Washington Post on Sept. 21, Gen. McChrystal warned that defeating the insurgents will not be possible if the United States fails to "gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum" over the next 12 months.

McChrystal reportedly has prepared a separate request for tens of thousands of additional U.S. troops to be sent to the 68,000 already in Afghanistan.

Since Sept. 21, when the Washington Post leaked information from McChrystal’s confidential report, the White House has been on the defensive over its Afghanistan strategy.

See link below for story details and names of 42 of the 43 American servicemen killed in Afghanistan since August 30.